- WILLIAM H. BAUMES, dealer in dry goods and carpets, corner
State and Broad streets; was
- born in Daunesburg, Schenectady Co., N.Y.; at the age of
12 years, he left the farm to attend the village school in Sloansville,
and during vacations, interested himself in his father's store;
having taken a strong liking to mercantile business, and evincing
such good care for the interests of his father, he was, two years
later, given the whole charge of his father's interest in the
store, and during the same time, continued his studies; at the
age of 18, feeling the need of a better education, he attended
the Fort Edward Institute, taking a college preparatory course,
and being offered by his father, the choice between a collegiate
education, with a view to a professional pursuit, or a more extended
business knowledge, with the mercantile business in view, he
chose the latter, and Aug. 15, 1865, came to Wisconsin and located
in Beloit, where he soon after accepted a position as salesman
in Mr. S. S. WATERMAN's dry-goods store, with whom he continued
till Jan. 20, 1868, when he went to Oneonta, N.Y., and organized
the dry-goods firm of BEDFORD & BAUMES. Believing the prospects
for business enterprises to be far better in the West than in
the East and realizing the need of a larger place to conduct
as large a business as he wished to do, he sold out his interest
in the store in Oneonta and returned to Beloit in May of the
same year, when he was offered his former position of book-keeper
and head clerk in Mr. WATERMAN's store, which position he retained
till Aug. 24, 1870. On Aug. 25 of the same year, he accepted
a position in the wholesale department of Field, Leiter &
Co.'s store in Chicago, and continued with that firm till April
21, 1871, when he returned to Beloit, to give all his time and
business ability to the firm of CARPENTER & BAUMES, which
firm was organized in March, 1871, the members of the firm being
James M. CARPENTER and William H. BAUMES. Mr. BAUMES remained
a member of the firm till Feb. 1, 1879, when the firm was dissolved
by mutual consent. During the eight years of the business career
of the above firm, it enjoyed unbounded prosperity, and did a
larger dry-goods business than any firm ever transacted in Beloit,
its sales reaching $100,000 annually, and, notwithstanding the
panic of 1873, the hard times and shrinkage in values of all
kinds of merchandise, from 1875 to 1878, the business of this
firm was but slightly affected, and each year they were enabled
to realize handsome dividends from their business. On Feb. 1,
1879, the firm of CARPENTER & BAUMES was dissolved by mutual
consent, and Mr. BAUMES opened his present dry-goods store, situated
on the corner of State and Broad streets, which is the largest
store in the city used for the dry-goods business. His trade
is very large, and his sales show a handsome increase each month,
and Mr. BAUMES is well pleased with his successful and profitable
business. He has no partner in his business. On Jan. 2, 1879,
the Citizens' National Bank of Beloit was organized, and Mr.
BAUMES was elected Cashier, which office he held until April
16, of the same year, when he resigned that position, to devote
all his time to his mercantile and other business interests.
He is still interested in the bank, and holds the office of
Director. Few young men have succeeded so well. Aug. 23, 1876,
Mr. BAUMES married Minnie H. CHAPMAN, at Unadilla Forks, N.Y.
He has one child - William H. BAUMES, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. BAUMES
are members of the First Baptist Church of Beloit.
-
- Taken from "The History of Rock County, Wis."
(c)1879, p. 733.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|